August Horch is considered one of the pioneers of the German car industry – the first Horch motor car took to the streets of Cologne's Ehrenfeld district 100 years ago, and it is 50 years since the death of the man who was among the very first automotive engineers. This is reason enough to recall his life's work – the systematic refinement of the motor car of the early days into an object that much more closely resembles the present-day car. The August Horch Museum in Zwickau has brought out a book that celebrates the life of August Horch as both an engineer and an individual. This commemorative biography, entitled "Pionier der Kraftfahrt" ("Pioneer of the Motor Vehicle") is based on many years of research by the author Jürgen Pönisch. The book is 218 pages long, and is illustrated with 284 photographs (some published here for the first time), as well as 110 documents.

Driving a car back in 1901 was still an activity that could be classed as an adventurous exploit. The first unofficial trial run of a Horch motor car was a great occasion for the company Horch & Cie. and the inhabitants of the Cologne district of Ehrenfeld. "At first everything seemed to be running according to plan, and the car was making good progress. But it soon started to exhibit the usual teething troubles that plagued every car back in those days," wrote August Horch in recollection of his first excursion in his first car in January 1901. "The engine suddenly stopped. Foreman Krapff and I scampered down from the bench and dived into the car's workings. We immediately established that the carburettor was not operating correctly. The fault was soon repaired, and we climbed back onto the bench and continued our journey," recorded Horch.

August Horch, hailing from Winningen on the Moselle, had learned about automotive construction at Carl Benz in Mannheim, where he had taken charge of the motor vehicle construction department in 1896. He was captivated by the still new idea of the motor car, but Benz was unable to give him the free rein that he wanted in order to explore his ideas. So it was that he set up a company of his own in November 1899. He purchased a former stable building at Venloer Strasse No. 295 in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, and established a "repair shop for motor vehicles and machines of all kinds".

It was always August Horch's intention to build a car of his own design. The first Horch motor car had a horizontally installed two-cylinder engine with an output of around 4 – 5 hp. One of the special features of Horch's design was that the two parallel-action cylinders were offset by a length; he sought to achieve extra-smooth operation by these means (the "impact-free engine"). The power was transmitted to the transmission bolted to the rear wheels by means of a broad drive belt looped in a figure of eight. The use of light alloy for the crankcase was an interesting new feature of this design.

But what did the first Horch car look like? August Horch initially understood it to be a chassis or underbody which contained the engine and transmission, and to which the axles and springs were attached. The body was manufactured separately to customer specifications. Horch described his first construction in the following terms: "The superstructure was a four-seater. We had it built by the renowned Cologne firm of Utermöhle. Our superstructure, like all models on the market at that time, was completely open, without any doors. A folding roof was only supplied at extra charge, if the customer explicitly requested one. Those who were unable to afford a folding roof could opt for the leather apron as an alternative: this comprised a piece of leather that you simply placed over your knees, to keep the rain off and help keep you warm in very cold weather. Nobody had yet thought of placing a windscreen in front of the front seats. The first car lights contained candles, before paraffin lanterns were introduced.

The small firm of the engineer August Horch gradually began to grow. By the start of 1901, the company numbered 15 employees (5 mechanics, 1 founder, 3 lathe operators, 1 blacksmith, 1 fitter, 2 assistants and 2 apprentices). From February 1901, prospective customers could even consult a sales brochure. The range comprised a chassis with a 4.5 – 5 hp engine and three-speed gearbox at a price of 3,500 marks, and a further chassis with a 9 – 10 hp engine and four-speed gearbox at a price of 4,100 marks. Ten different body versions at prices ranging from 4,000 to 6,500 marks were announced, but there is only photographic evidence for the existence of the models "Phaeton" and "Vis-à-vis", both four-seaters. After assembly, these cars were run in and not painted until immediately before they were dispatched. By April 1901 the company was able to sell six cars, and ultimately a total of ten. However, the 9 – 10 hp engine mentioned in the catalogue was never built.

August Horch's career as an entrepreneur in the motor industry therefore had extremely modest beginnings. However, this brilliant automotive engineer from the very early years can certainly be regarded as one of the founding fathers of the present-day company AUDI AG – following a dispute with his partners he established the brand Audi (the Latin translation of his name, the German word for “hark”) in 1909. Further details and interesting facts about his career are now to be found in the new Horch commemorative biography "Pionier der Kraftfahrt" by Jürgen Pönisch. The book is now available at the August Horch Museum in Zwickau and at the museum shop in Ingolstadt's museum mobile at a price of EUR 30.90.

The four rings of the Audi badge symbolise the brands Audi, Horch, DKW and Wanderer, which were later combined under the umbrella of Auto Union. Auto Union and NSU, which merged in 1969, made many significant contributions towards the development of the car. AUDI AG was formed from Audi NSU Auto Union AG in 1985. Together with the two traditional companies Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, Audi Tradition nurtures and presents the deep and diverse history of Audi. The museum mobile at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt is open from Monday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Audi is an international developer and manufacturer of high-quality cars. In 2000 the company sold more than 650,000 Audi models. The sales revenues of the Audi Group totalled DM 39 billion. The Audi Group currently has more than 50,000 employees.

The specified fuel consumption and emission data have been determined according to the measurement procedures prescribed by law. Since 1st September 2017, certain new vehicles are already being type-approved according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), a more realistic test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Starting on September 1st 2018, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) will be replaced by the WLTP in stages. Owing to the more realistic test conditions, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions measured according to the WLTP will, in many cases, be higher than those measured according to the NEDC. For further information on the differences between the WLTP and NEDC, please visit
www.audi.de/wltp.

We are currently still required by law to state the NEDC figures. In the case of new vehicles which have been type-approved according to the WLTP, the NEDC figures are derived from the WLTP data. It is possible to specify the WLTP figures voluntarily in addition until such time as this is required by law. In cases where the NEDC figures are specified as value ranges, these do not refer to a particular individual vehicle and do not constitute part of the sales offering. They are intended exclusively as a means of comparison between different vehicle types. Additional equipment and accessories (e.g. add-on parts, different tyre formats, etc.) may change the relevant vehicle parameters, such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and, in conjunction with weather and traffic conditions and individual driving style, may affect fuel consumption, electrical power consumption, CO2 emissions and the performance figures for the vehicle.

Further information on official fuel consumption figures and the official specific CO2 emissions of new passenger cars can be found in the “Guide on the fuel economy, CO2 emissions and power consumption of new passenger car models”, which is available free of charge at all sales dealerships and from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, D-73760 Ostfildern, Germany and at
www.dat.de.